Automatic train and station mail receiving and delivering device.



A. MOARTHUR.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN AND STATION MAIL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 27, 1908.

WITNESSES Patented M21112, 1909.

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A. MOARTHUR.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN AND STATIONMAILBEOEIVING AND DELIVERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1908.

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Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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WITNESSES:

. Q5. L m M A TTORNE Y ms NDRRIS PErERs c0., WASHINGTON, n. c.

on rnn srarns ALEXANDER MCARIIIUR, OF FORBES, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN AND STATION MAIL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Application filed July 27, 1908. Serial No. 45,585.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .ALEXANDER Morin.- THUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forbes, in the county of Holt and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train and Station Mail Receiving and Delivering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a device by which mail may be delivered to and received from a railroad car at any station while the train is in motion.

I accomplish my object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail discharging and receiving apparatus; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of a discharging crane shown cut on line xr in Fig. 1,- Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of a receiving crane attached to a car; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a car door with the apparatus attached; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 4 Fig. 6 is a front view of a crane fastening clamp; Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation, showing a trigger rod and bracket.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

A is a post adapted to be set rigidly on the platform or in the ground at a distance of about 6 feet from the inside of the rail. Said post is braced by stay rods A A. B is a lower arm and B an upper arm, both pivoted on said post.- 5 is a bracket rigidly fastened on said post to prevent arm B being drawn above the horizontal position shown in Fig. 1, and b is a similar bracket to prevent arm B being drawn below the horizontal position shown in said figure. C is a spiral spring being adapted to draw said arm B into an upright position when a mail sack has been received. D is a crane connected with said post by means of a loose fitting bolt (1 and held rigidly by stationary arm E. Each end of said arm E is provided with a clamp E for the purpose of securing crane D. When it is desired to reverse said crane thumb screws 0 c are unscrewed from clamp E and crane D is iven a half turn, being pivoted on a loose Fitting bolt d; said crane is then reclamped by thumb screws 6 e.

P is a trigger rod secured pivotally at one end to post E. Said trigger rod P rests on bracket F which supports the crane in a horizontal lposition.

H is a sack shown attached at the free ends of arms B and B.

L is a car door and J is a locking sector rigidly fastened to hanger ll inside said door and engaged by a lever J operating through a slotted passage j in said hanger, thus permitting the adjustment oi a crane M to any desired height. an extension rod m the free end oi which supports an arm h: by means of pivoted connection rod 0, thereby also providing for adjustment of the sack to any desired height. ii is a lower arm loosely attached to the car door by chains 7c k. The crane may be reversed by a half turn oi lever J to receive mail when the car is going in an opposite direction.

When it is desired to deliver mail sack S from a car to a station, the mail clerk fastens the sack to arms K and K, and by means of lever J, the sack is brought out to the de sired position, as shown in Fig. 5. When depositing said mail sack S to the ground the middle of the neck of the sack travels inside of crane D and the neck of the sack comes in contact with trigger rod P knocking the trigger arm o'l l' bracket F, thereby causing crane D to fall to a perpendicular position against said post; the momentum of the train will naturally cause the sack to be deposited in loop U. When it is desired to deliver mail to a train, sack H is fastened to the free ends of arms 13 and B and the mail clerk adjusts crane M by means of lever J to the proper position. As the car passes, crane M catches sack II depositing it in loop M. These two movements can be used simultaneously, one being above the other.

l Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic mail receiving and delivering device the combination with a car door, of a hanger provided with a vertical slot, a locking sector rigidly attached to said hanger, a lever operating in said i slot and a crane outside said car door adjustable to the desired height by means of said sector and lever, the crane clamps and thumb screws, an extension rod on said crane, upper and lower arms to engage a mail sack, a rod connecting said extension rod and upper arm and a loop in said crane, substantially as set forth and shown.

2. In an automatic mail receiving and delivering device the combination with a Said crane is provided with lower arm being drawn above a horizontal station post, of upper and lower arms pivoted to a side of the post one vertically above the other, brackets on said post to prevent the upper arm being lowered and the lower arm being elevated above a horizontal line, a sprial spring connecting between said post and upper arm to draw said arm into an upright position, a crane connected with said post by a loose fitting bolt held by a stationary arm, the clamps and thumb screws, a trigger rod and the bracket thereunder supporting said crane in a horizontal position, substantially as shown 3. In an automatic railway train and station mail receiving and delivering device the combination with a station post and railway car, of lower and upper arms pivoted to said post and adapted to engage a mail sack, a bracket on said post to prevent said position, a similar bracket to prevent said upper arm being drawn below a horizontal position, a spiral spring attached to said post and an upper arm to draw the latter into an upright position, a stationary arm,

a crane connected to said post by a loose fitting bolt held by said stationary arm and the clamps on said arm, a trigger rod and the bracket thereunder supporting said crane in horizontal position, a car door and hanger thereon provided with a slot, a semi-circular sector rigidly fastened to said hanger, a lever engaging with said sector through said slot and a car door crane adjustable to the desired height by means of said sector and connecting mechanism, an extension rod, a horizontal arm, a pivoted rod forming connection between said arm and extension rod to provide adjustment of a mail sack to any desired height, a lower arm connected with said car door by chains, a loop to receive a mail sack and a half turn lever by which to reverse a crane, substantially as shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER MoARTI-IUR. VJitnesses R. J. HULL, EVANGELINE O. GIBBONS. 

